Forceps for removing skin clips



May 19, 1 959 B. K. AFROESCHMANN FORCEPS FOR REMOVING SKIN CLIPS Filed Oct. 12, 1956 INVENTOR.

BEN/V0 K 4. B05 3 CHMA/VM A T TOEA/EYS.

United States Patent FORCEPS FOR REMOVING SKIN (ILIPS Benno K. A. Roeschmann, Montelair, NJ.

Application October 12, 1956, Serial No. 615,706

1 'Claim. (Cl. 128-321) This invention relates to surgical instruments, and more particularly to a pair of forceps for removing surgical clips or clamps of the type having opposed outwardly projecting top lugs.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved forceps for removing surgical clips, said forceps being simple in construction, being easy to use, and providing a secure grip on the surgical clip being re moved whereby said clip is disengaged from the patients skin rapidly and painlessly.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved forceps for removing skin clips of the type having opposed outwardly projecting top lugs, said forceps being inexpensive to manufacture, being compact in size, and being arranged so that the skin clip being removed is opened completely and rapidly, the forceps being provided with means for positively gripping the skin clips during their removal and for avoiding twisting of the cli s.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a pair of forceps constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the forceps of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken through the gripping fingers of the forceps of Figures 1 to 4 and illustrating the manner in which the fingers engage with the outwardly projecting top lugs of a surgical clip.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a pair of forceps constructed in accordance with the present invention, said forceps comprising a pair of outwardly bowed arms 12 and 13, the arm 12 being provided with a top lug 14 formed with a vertical groove 15 in which is received a flattened top lug 16 formed on the arm 13. A pivot pin 17 extends through the top lug 14 and through the flattened lug 16, pivotally connecting the arms 12 and 13. Designated at 18 is a leaf spring which is secured at its lower end to the lower portion of the arm 12, as by a rivet 19. The leaf spring 18 is of similar shape and bears on the upper portion of the inside surface of the arm 13, being retained adjacent said upper portion by a hook-like retaining member 20 secured to the upper portion of the arm 13, as shown in Figure 1. Spring 18 biases arms 12 and 13 apart, but is readily yieldable when the arms 12 and 13 are squeezed together for removal of a surgical clip.

The arms 12 and 13 are formed at their lower ends with the deepening, straight, substantially parallel fingers 21 and 22, as shown in Figure 1, the respective fingers being formed with the opposing vertical grooves 23 and 24 opening at the bottom ends of the fingers, as is clearly 2,887,110 Patented May 19, 1959 shown in Figure 5. The inside wall surface of the grooves 23 and 24 are formed with transverse serrations 25, as shown in Figure 5, and the opposing faces of the fingers 21 and 22 are likewise formed with transverse serrations 26. The grooves 23 and 24 are less in depth than the thickness of the arms 27, 27 of a conventional surgical clip 28, as shown in Figure 5, whereby the lugs 27, 27 may be firmly gripped by the fingers 21, 22, even when the lugs 27, 27 are in abutment with each other.

As will be readily understood, the conventional surgical clip 28 may be employed to close an incision or wound as a substitute for or in conjunction with sutures. When engaged with the incision or wound, the gripping portions 29 of the clip are brought relatively close together and the top lugs 27 of the clip are in outwardly extending oppositely directed positions. To unfasten the clip, it is necessary to exert squeezing pressure on the opposed outwardly projecting top lugs 27. In operating the forceps, for this purpose, the lugs 27, 27 are engaged in the grooves 23 and 24 of the fingers 21 and 22, and squeezing pressure is applied to the arms 12 and 13, forcing the fingers 21 and 22 toward each other and rotating the arms of the surgical clip so that the lugs 27, 27 are brought into contact with each other.

When the lugs 27, 27 are engaged in the grooves 23, 24, the lugs are firmly held by the engagement of the transverse serrations 25 therewith, whereby slipping cannot occur and whereby even opposing inward forces are applied to the lugs, causing the spur elements 29 of the clip to be separated smoothly and rapidly and allowing the clip to be removed from the suture or wound with a minimum of pain or discomfort to the patient.

The forceps 11 may be employed for removing surgical clips of different sizes, since in most cases, the size of the lugs 27 remains the same for the various different sizes of surgical clips.

While a specific embodiment of an improved forceps for removing surgical clips has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A pair of forceps for removing skin clips of the type having opposed outwardly projecting top lugs comprising a pair of outwardly bowed arms, means pivotally connecting the top ends of said arms, spring means biasing said arms apart, and depending, straight, substantially parallel gripping fingers on the bottom ends of said arms, said fingers being formed with opposing rec tangular grooves open at their lower ends, whereby said grooves define a cavity open at its bottom end when the fingers are brought together into contact with each other, and being further formed with transverse serrations in said grooves, said transverse serrations opposing each other to engage at times with the top edges of the out wardly projecting top lugs of a skin clip, said opposing grooves being relatively shallow, whereby to grip the lugs even when the lugs are in abutment with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

